Mayfest makeover
May 24—The old Memorial Day tradition is over.
Long live the new Memorial Day tradition.
The town of Red River centered its Memorial Day weekend festivities around a motorcycle rally for decades, but following a tragic shooting last year, it has discontinued that celebration. This year, the town is rebranding its holiday weekend as Mayfest in the Mountains, and it plans to celebrate art, the outdoors, and all the things that make Red River a great place to live and explore.
"After the incident we had last year, our community has had multiple meetings and it was decided that the rally was not the direction we'd like to continue with," says Max Khudiakov, the town's economic development and tourism director. "Our governing body and the mayor formed a special events committee; the committee was made up of several stakeholders in the community, and they came up with Mayfest in the Mountains.
details
Mayfest in the Mountains
* 8 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Sunday, May 24-26
* Various locations
* Free
The new celebration, which was funded in part by $30,000 from the New Mexico Tourism Department, will feature a Plein Air Competition, a chalk-art zone, live music, and outdoor recreation workshops on fly fishing, skateboarding, mountain biking, and more.
The Red River Conference Center will display a Wall of Honor that pays tribute to servicemen and women who lost their lives during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Brandenburg Park will host a number of activities, including bounce houses and corn hole games.
The motorcycle rally was held for 41 years in Red River, and more than 20,000 bikers annually swelled the community over the Memorial Day Weekend.
Five people were injured and three were killed in a shootout last year between rival motorcycle gang members.